My friend is applying to Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunication Program. He is very interested in the program but not as wild about the "tele" bit; Just how far away do the people he’s trying to communicate with need to be? Would across the room work? I suggested that perhaps if his communication were "far out" (in the 1960’s sense of the word), that might qualify as "tele".
I also suggested that a fun way to begin his interview might be to say, "I’m interested in your program but I live in New York City and it seems kind of silly for me to telecommute." The faculty doing the interview would either thing he as very clever — or wouldn’t.